For the fourth time in five days, Yemen's Houthi rebels have struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing at least thirteen people across two days of attacks and wounding hundreds more. The strikes — reaching deep into the Saudi capital — mark a sharp escalation in a conflict that has smoldered for years but now threatens to draw in American military power and destabilize the arteries of global oil trade. In the shadow of ongoing US-Israeli operations against Iran, the airport's closure stands as a symbol of how swiftly a regional war can reach the places ordinary people pass th
Houthi strike kills 1, injures 11 at Riyadh airport in fourth attack in five days
At least 13 people killed and over 300 wounded across Saturday and Sunday attacks on Riyadh airport, including Pakistani and Indian nationals.
Four strikes in five days on the same airport
Mark
So this is the fourth strike in five days. That's a dramatic acceleration. What changed?
Mimi
The Houthis have shown they can penetrate Saudi air defenses repeatedly now. Whether it's a shift in their tactics, new weapons, or degraded Saudi defenses, the pattern is unmistakable—they're hitting the same target over and over.
Luke
We should be careful here. The source says the Houthis claimed responsibility for the strikes before Sunday's, but it doesn't explicitly confirm they claimed Sunday's attack. We know it happened; we don't have their statement on this specific one yet.
Mark
Fair point. But the timing and pattern suggest it's them. What about the human cost—thirteen dead across two days?
Mimi
Yes, at least thirteen confirmed dead, over three hundred wounded. A Pakistani resident on Sunday, and an Indian citizen who died from Saturday's injuries. These are workers, travelers, people caught in the wrong place.
Luke
The source says "at least thirteen"—that's important language. It's possible the count will rise as hospitals report more deaths. And we should note that Saturday's attack was the deadliest since late February, when the US-Israel operations against Iran began. That's the context.
Mark
So this is part of a larger regional escalation, not just a Saudi-Houthi problem.
Mimi
Exactly. Trump is weighing intervention. If the US joins in, the Houthis could choke off shipping through Bab al-Mandeb. That affects global oil prices and commerce worldwide.
Luke
But Trump hasn't actually committed yet, and the source says there were no signs by Sunday that he'd followed up on his stated intention to call the Crown Prince. So we're in a moment of uncertainty—the threat is real, but the US response is still undecided.
Mark
And the airport is closed indefinitely.
Mimi
Closed since Saturday. No timeline for reopening. That's a major economic and logistical blow to Saudi Arabia.
El Pulso
- A projectile tore across the Riyadh airport tarmac Sunday evening, killing a Pakistani resident and wounding eleven others — the fourth such strike in five days on one of the region's busiest hubs.
- Saturday's attack was deadlier still: twelve killed, over three hundred wounded, and an Indian national who survived that blast died Sunday, pushing the combined toll to at least thirteen dead.
- The airport has been shuttered since Saturday, suspending commerce and travel across the Arabian Peninsula with no clear timeline for reopening.
- President Trump publicly weighed committing US forces against the Houthis and signaled plans to call Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — but by Sunday, no action had followed his words.
- The Houthis' grip on the Bab al-Mandeb strait means any widening of the conflict could choke a critical global shipping lane, threatening oil supplies and prices far beyond the Arabian Peninsula.
For the fourth time in five days, Yemen's Houthi rebels have struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing at least thirteen people across two days of attacks and wounding hundreds more. The strikes — reaching deep into the Saudi capital — mark a sharp escalation in a conflict that has smoldered for years but now threatens to draw in American military power and destabilize the arteries of global oil trade. In the shadow of ongoing US-Israeli operations against Iran, the airport's closure stands as a symbol of how swiftly a regional war can reach the places ordinary people pass through on their way home.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was struck again on Sunday evening, a projectile igniting fire on the runway near parked aircraft around 8:30pm local time. One Pakistani resident was killed and eleven others wounded, with the injured dispersed across several hospitals. A passenger on a taxiing plane watched the fire erupt before the aircraft returned to the gate and passengers were evacuated.
It was the fourth attack on the airport in five days. Saturday's strike had been far worse — twelve killed, more than three hundred wounded — and an Indian national injured that day died Sunday, bringing the two-day death toll to at least thirteen. The airport has remained closed since Saturday, its suspension indefinite, representing a serious rupture in regional commerce and travel. An earlier Thursday attack had killed three Saudi citizens, including a pilot.
The Houthis, the Iran-backed rebel group based in Yemen, claimed responsibility for all the strikes. Their escalating tempo signals a conflict that has grown sharply more volatile in recent months, particularly since US and Israeli military operations against Iran began in late February.
The strikes have drawn the attention of Washington. President Trump said he was weighing whether to commit American forces against the Houthis and indicated he intended to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — though by Sunday no action had followed. The possibility of US intervention remains real but unresolved.
The stakes extend well beyond Riyadh. The Houthis hold key positions along the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a narrow waterway off Yemen's coast and a vital alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. A widening conflict could prompt the rebels to restrict shipping through it, tightening global oil supplies and driving up prices. The airport attacks have made plain that the Houthis are both willing and capable of striking deep into Saudi territory — raising the cost of inaction for every party watching.
King Khalid International airport in Riyadh was struck again on Sunday evening, this time by a projectile that tore across the tarmac near parked aircraft around 8:30pm local time. One person died—a Pakistani resident—and eleven others were wounded in the blast that hit terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights. The Saudi civil aviation authority confirmed the casualties and said the injured were distributed among several hospitals. A passenger aboard a taxiing aircraft watched the strike ignite a fire on the runway; the plane returned to the gate and passengers were ordered to evacuate.
This was the fourth attack on the airport in five days. The previous strike, on Saturday, had been far deadlier: twelve people killed and more than three hundred wounded. An Indian citizen who had been injured in that Saturday attack died from those wounds on Sunday, bringing the combined death toll across the two days to at least thirteen. The airport had been closed since Saturday's assault, which remains the deadliest attack on Saudi soil since the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran in late February.
The Houthis, the Iran-backed rebel group fighting in Yemen, claimed responsibility for the strikes. An earlier attack on Thursday had killed at least three Saudi citizens, including a pilot. The escalating tempo of these strikes—four in five days—signals a sharp intensification of the conflict that has been grinding on for years but has grown more volatile in recent months.
The damage from Sunday's strike prompted the civil aviation authority to launch safety inspections and damage assessments. The airport remained closed, its operations suspended indefinitely. For a major regional hub, this represents a significant disruption to commerce and travel across the Arabian Peninsula.
The strikes have drawn international attention, particularly from the United States. President Donald Trump said he was considering whether to commit American military forces to the fight against the Houthis, and indicated he planned to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the matter. Yet by Sunday, there was no indication that Trump had followed through on that stated intention. The possibility of US intervention looms large, though it remains uncertain whether it will materialize.
The broader implications extend far beyond Riyadh. The Houthis control key positions along the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a narrow waterway off Yemen's coast that serves as a critical alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz. Any widening of the conflict—particularly if the United States enters it—could prompt the rebels to further restrict or block shipping through that strait, tightening global oil supplies and driving up prices. The Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognized government, has been attempting to recapture those strategic positions from Houthi hands, but progress has been slow. The airport attacks represent a dramatic escalation in the rebels' capability and willingness to strike deep into Saudi territory, and they have raised the stakes for all parties involved.
Citas Notables
A passenger aboard a taxiing aircraft watched the strike ignite a fire on the runway; the plane returned to the gate and passengers were ordered to evacuate.— Witness account to Reuters
Quieres la nota completa?
Lee el original en Al Jazeera ↗
War & Conflict